How to say it
AU · gust
/ˈɔ.gəst/
Masculine
August
Venerable, majestic
What it means
Latin augustus, 'venerable, majestic.' The title the Roman Senate gave to Octavian, the first Roman emperor, which became his name and then the eighth month's.
August comes from the Latin augustus ('venerable, majestic'), originally a title rather than a name. The Roman Senate granted it to Octavian in 27 BC, making him Augustus Caesar; the eighth month of the year was renamed for him soon after. The English August stayed minor until German immigration brought the cognate Augustus and August into US records. It dropped through the 20th century and has surged since 2010 alongside other vintage one-syllable names (Atlas, Felix). Gus is the standard nickname and a fully separate identity for many Augusts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #74 in 1880, currently #81 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Gus is the standard short and a fully separate identity for many Augusts.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Augustus Caesar First Roman emperor, born Octavian, granted the title Augustus in 27 BC
- August Wilson American playwright, the Pittsburgh Cycle (Fences, The Piano Lesson)
- August Strindberg Swedish playwright and novelist, Miss Julie
Spelling variants
- Augustus
- Auguste
- Augusto
Names with the same feeling
See August from another angle
By style